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Tim BontempsESPN
Derrick Rose said that when he decided he wanted to leave the Detroit Pistons, the only choice in his mind was to meet with former coach Tom Thibodeau and executive William Wesley with the New York Knicks.
“Of course,” said Rose after scoring 14 points in 20 minutes on her Tuesday night debut, a 98-96 loss in Miami to the Heat. “Although I couldn’t say it at the time, I just wanted to be comfortable. Like I said, I’ve known these guys since high school, eighth grade, high school, so coming here, like I said, is family. I never thought of another thing, but really getting here and understanding that they wanted me to help develop the young people they already have here. “
Rose, which the Knicks officially acquired on Monday in exchange for point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and Charlotte’s choice in the second round in 2021, played well in his first game with the franchise since he left as a free agent at the end of the 2015 season. -16. Rose made 5 of 9 on the field, including 2 of 3 in the 3-point streak, to go with three assists and two turns in her 20:20 cut time.
Those minutes came exclusively with Knicks debutant point guard Immanuel Quickley, with whom Thibodeau partnered with Rose on the court. Thibodeau said after the game that he liked the look the pair offered together and indicated that it would be the second block from New York from now on. He added that the player Rose replaced in the rotation, Austin Rivers, would now be a “situational” player.
“I think you see this often when there are a lot of playmakers on the ground, it gives you another ball handler, secondary ball handler, and you can probably include Alec (Burks) there too,” said Thibodeau. “It gives us three guys who can get out of the dribble, and all three are very efficient in pick-and-roll. Their versatility allows them to really mix with the two groups. I think we’ll see a little bit of that as we go ahead too. “
For Rose, this marks the third time in his career that he played with Thibodeau, his coach in Chicago from 2010 to 2015, and again as part of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. When asked what makes them connect, Rose laughed and said that he and his coach are a “strange couple” before talking about the love they share for the game.
“The synergy we have, I can’t explain,” said Rose. “We are a strange couple, but for some reason, we understand the game. And the closest I can say is that we are students of the game. We watched the game. We try to understand the game more and try to improve, if not every day, every week, every month, every two months, every year. There is always room for improvement, and it is for the improvement of the team. Wherever I go, wherever he goes, we are always trying to win. “
After the exchange was made, there was some apprehension among Knicks fans that Rose would eat the minutes that Quickley, the 25th choice in the November draft for the NBA, would play.
Quickley, who entered Tuesday’s game with an average of 12 points as a rookie and 36.3% of 3-point shots, has been impressive in his rookie season. He showed flashes of the game of one of his idols, veteran guard Lou Williams, in terms of being a solid 3-point shooter who is also adept at scoring fouls and hitting floats on the track.
If Tuesday’s game was any indication, however, Quickley’s pivot point is safe in the future. And in turn, Rose was effusive in her praise for the newcomer. Since the switch, he has said on several occasions that he is excited to play alongside Quickley.
“It shouldn’t be too difficult [playing] with him, “said Rose.” We are similar. He’s getting double in his debut year. Not many newbies get that kind of attention. For him to see this sooner, it will only make his game better. The game will slow down. And he listens. That’s the best thing about him: he listens. With that, you always have room for improvement.
“He’s a dog. He’s a dog. I can’t explain. You have to be a player to understand that. [If] we are fighting, I know he is fighting. “
Ultimately, however, Rose’s debut was hampered by a late comeback from Heat, who won this series at home and at home with the Knicks doing the same trick – escaping with a victory thanks to better execution in the final stretch – both on Sunday in New York and Tuesday night in Orlando.
After Jimmy Butler, who led Miami with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists, missed 1 of 2 free throws with 6.2 seconds left, the Knicks took a good look at the tie, with second-year point guard RJ Barrett took the ball at the top of the key with Butler defending him and attacked the ring with his dominant left hand.
But Barrett’s layup attempt got out of the way and the Knicks fell for the seventh time in 10 games, after a promising start to the season. They are tied with Heat in ninth place in the East and are just one game ahead of the Orlando Magic in 13th.
“I took a really good look,” said Barrett, who had 13 points and six rebounds, but only got 5 out of 14 on the field. “Layup going to my strong hand … I have to finish this.”